Brief filed today argues safety and the economy are best served by maintaining one national set of rules instead of 50 state-level ones
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 14, 2026--
C.H. Robinson, the leader in Lean AI supply chains, today filed its merits brief in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, a U.S. Supreme Court case that will determine whether freight brokers may be held liable under varying state laws for accidents involving federally licensed motor carriers. As one of the world’s largest logistics platforms—trusted by 83,000 customers and 450,000 contract carriers to move 37 million annual shipments—C.H. Robinson depends on consistent federal rules that keep goods moving safely and efficiently nationwide.
“For nearly a century, federal law has provided one clear set of rules for how freight moves across the country. That clarity matters for safety and for the economy,” said Dorothy Capers, Chief Legal Officer, C.H. Robinson. “Our brief asks the Court to reaffirm that framework so responsibilities remain where they belong—and goods keep moving reliably for families and businesses nationwide.”
Last year, C.H. Robinson joined a request to the Supreme Court to review an issue critical to preserving the federal system that regulates and ensures uniformity for motor carrier services (including broker services) — a framework designed to support both reliable supply chains and consistent safety oversight across the country. The vast majority of goods are transported by motor carriers, and uniform regulation of motor carrier services is vital to the U.S. economy. The Supreme Court granted review.
C.H. Robinson’s brief explains that for nearly a century, federal law exclusively has governed the services of motor carriers, including the decisions of freight brokers like C.H. Robinson when engaging federally licensed motor carriers for the transportation of freight. In recent years, however, some courts have allowed plaintiffs to use state law to second-guess those decisions and impose liability on brokers for their selection of licensed motor carriers whose drivers are alleged to cause traffic accidents.
Congress made a deliberate decision under its constitutional authority to regulate interstate and foreign commerce to establish uniform federal standards and rules for the motor carrier industry. Under those federal rules, brokers do not own or operate motor vehicles or select their drivers, so they are not the proper parties to bear responsibility for motor vehicle accidents. Keeping accountability aligned with those who actually operate vehicles is essential to maintaining clarity around safety responsibilities.
Federal law embodies Congress’s design by broadly preempting state laws affecting the prices, routes, and services of both brokers and motor carriers, while preserving only states’ narrow, vehicle specific safety authority.
“Permitting 50 different state court systems and precedents to impose their own standards on the selection of federally licensed motor carriers would fragment a system built for consistency, create conflicting rules for the same shipment, and increase costs and uncertainty across the supply chains that keep goods moving nationwide,” added Capers. “A unified federal framework not only reduces confusion—it helps ensure that safety oversight remains focused and effective where it matters most.”
C.H. Robinson looks forward to presenting its oral argument before the Supreme Court on March 4, 2026. We remain committed to a transportation system that is both safe and dependable, supported by clear national standards that benefit everyone on the road and everyone who relies on the movement of goods.
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chrobinson@padillaco.com
Source: C.H. Robinson
